Heart Disease is caused due to various Cardiovascular Disorders and affects the overall functionality of the heart by blocking blood flow, heart rate, and ability of heart muscle to pump (Contractility).
The incidence of Cardiac Disease is a significant cause of death in all women globally. Further, cardiac disease presents differently and will likely be diagnosed and treated differently than males.
There may be significant reasons for longer periods between diagnosis of and initiation of appropriate treatment in women, largely because of the differences in symptoms and various types of cardiovascular diseases that present amongst the female population in comparison to men, which is why it is important for females to gain awareness about heart disease earlier in their life.
According to experts, diastolic heart failure in women is common. Women are more likely than men to develop diastolic heart failure and other forms of potential heart failure associated with stiffening of the heart muscle, leading to poor filling while maintaining normal ejection fraction.
Women can also develop acute heart failure, which happens suddenly and causes rapid worsening of symptoms like shortness of breath, fatigue, and fluid buildup. It often requires emergency medical attention.
Right sided heart failure may occur when the right side of the heart cannot pump blood effectively to the lungs. This leads to blood backing up in the body. Right sided heart failure symptoms in women can include swelling in the legs, ankles, and abdomen, as well as weight gain due to fluid retention.
Women experience hormonal shifts (such as during menopause and afterwards) that affect both their blood vessels and the levels of cholesterol in their body; thus, this can lead to increased rates of heart diseases.
Heart conditions related to stress, including stress-induced cardiomyopathy ("broken heart syndrome") occur with much greater frequency among female patients than male patients. These types of heart conditions may resemble the symptoms of a heart attack.
After having suffered from a heart attack, women are more likely than men to experience lasting problems with their hearts, for example, by suffering from heart failure.
Also, women are likely to have different symptoms than what most doctors expect. Many women report having feelings of extreme fatigue, a feeling of being indigested, a feeling of breathlessness and pain in the back or jaw, symptoms that could lead to a diagnosis of something other than a heart problem.
Chest pain is the most common sign of heart disease, but in women, it doesn’t always appear as a sharp, intense pain. Many women describe it as:
Women can be out of breath or be aware of breathlessness even during simple activities like walking or talking. It happens due to poor heart pumping efficiency.
This fatigue may appear months before a heart attack.
Swelling and unexplained weight gain are usually due to fluid retention caused by poor heart pumping.
Cold, clammy sweating while at rest — especially with nausea or chest discomfort — may indicate a heart attack.
Many women experience warning signs for days or weeks before a heart attack. The most common early sign is unexplained fatigue.
If you feel severe tiredness without a clear reason, consider it a warning sign and seek medical attention.
If symptoms come and go, they are often mistaken for minor issues. But ignoring these signs can be dangerous. If you notice new or persistent symptoms — seek medical attention immediately.
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